Homelessness has no postcode, age, race or gender and while most of us have never experienced homelessness, and hopefully never will, the reality is we are only ever a couple of bad decisions or catastrophic events from potential homelessness.

The reality of homelessness is unfortunately never too far away from our doorstep in Tasmania as Kay from Ulverstone knows only too well.

Kay, who wishes to remain anonymous has spent the last year homeless sleeping either in her car or a tent, struggling to find a hot shower and keeping her health in check.

After her home in Ulverstone was broken into, Kay no longer felt safe enough to stay there, she reached out for help to secure the property, but with associations not taking her concerns on board she felt there was no other option but to leave.

“I couldn’t find any other accommodation and ended up living in my car, moving from carpark to carpark in Devonport and now living in a tent,” Kay said.

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“It really brings you down, I have suffered from depression but you have got to keep fighting, I had to give up my dog because I felt it was unfair to her and she was like my best friend, it does get lonely.”

Vinnies have been able to help with rent assistance for when Kay visits Melbourne for her doctors appointments and now thanks to the help of Vinnies Kay will be moving into a new home within 4 weeks.

“It is a hard road and I honestly don’t know how I have done it, I just keep thinking there is somebody out there worse off than me,” Kay said.

“You just have to keep trying, Vinnies are always there ,without people like them we would have nothing.”

“It is going to be amazing and so nice to not have to get up in the middle of the night because it is too cold to sleep, being able to have a hot shower in my home and having my grandkids over.”

Kay said if she was to offer advice to anybody facing or experiencing homelessness it would be that “things always get better when you seek help”.